Daddy's Little Girl
by OkobojiOddOne
Summary: From the minute he saw his little girl, he was in love. This is just a story I thought of when I heard the song 'It Won't Be Like This For Long' by Darius Rucker. I really hope you like it! H/M! Duh!
1. A Miracle in the Making

_Author's Note: Okay, here's the deal: Still don't own MASH, but I would love to! ;-) I redid the first chapter for this story and I hope you like it. Sorry if you liked the other one better but there were some things that needed tweaking and correcting and so on and so forth. Plus, the way I want to do this story, I had to make a little change in the first chapter. And yeah, we'll call this the first chapter for this version. Less confusing! _

_The idea for this story came from the song 'It Won't Be Like This For Long' by Darius Rucker. It's a great song and I suggest you listen to it! ;-) I love it!_

_Hope you like it! Enjoy and PLEASE review!_

**Daddy's Little Girl**

**By: Cora**

**May 30, 1955**

It was around midnight and sleep had yet to come for the small town doctor. The windows were open for the first time that Spring and it felt wonderful to finally have some fresh, ocean scented breeze circulating in the little house once again.

Hawkeye was laying on his side, his arms around his beautiful wife, her blonde hair tickling his nose. He didn't mind though, the scent of her shampoo was almost intoxicating and just holding her close to him made his whole day. Working days at the clinics and nights at the ER in Spruce Harbor was wearing him out and gave him very little alone time with her. Mrs. Margaret Pierce was now the head nurse at his dad's clinic, but even there they only had an hour of free time to go get lunch and possibly lucky under the desk in his office.

"You're still awake?" Margaret asked, sounding a little sleepy when her husband started shifting around. She turned over to face him and let him move his arm that was falling asleep.

"Can't get to sleep." He shrugged, "I didn't mean to wake you up though, I'm sorry." Kissing her forehead, he rubbed her back as she cuddled a little closer.

She smiled up at him and ran her hand across his cheek, "Quite alright. I love you, you know that?"

Hawkeye lightly captured her hand and kissed her soft palm, "I love you too." For what seemed like no reason, Margaret looked down and blinked, a pained expression on her face. A couple tears fell from the corners of her eyes, but she tried to brush them away so he wouldn't see them. "Margaret?" He asked, his voice hoarse with concern. "Margaret what's wrong?"

"N…nothing. I uh… I don't want you to see me like this. I'll be back in a minute." Scooting away from his arms and springing out of bed, she headed for the door.

"Margaret? Where are you going?" Hawkeye sounded confused and worried as he tried to untangle himself from the sheets and go after her. But she was in the hall and down the stairs before he could even grab for his robe. Opening up the old, squeaky door, he looked down toward the living room, over the railing. His wife's silhouette was sitting on the second to the bottom step, hunched over and shaking from her sobs. "Margaret?"

The steps creaked under him as he went down to her, but she didn't seem to notice. It was a little chilly on the ground floor, so he took off his robe and draped it over her exposed shoulders. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he sat behind her and whispered in her ear, "Honey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, "I've just had a lot on my mind…" She brought her feet up to the bottom step and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Can you tell me? Honey, I just wanna help." He ran a gentle hand through her hair, moving it to one side so he could see her face. The crying woman didn't say anything, but tried to wipe away her tears with her left hand as her right dropped down to her stomach. The way she held her hand against the flowing white fabric made Hawkeye's eyes grow wide. "Margaret?" The hand that was resting on her shoulder made it's way to her stomach, right above hers, "Are…" it was a lot to take in. He took a deep break and tried again, "Are you?"

Margaret looked around to him and nodded slightly, "Yeah…" She started crying into her hands again.

He had no idea what he was feeling, but Hawkeye couldn't control himself, "Margaret, that's great!" His eyes and his smile were wide and he hugged his wife from behind her. "This is great."

"It is?" She asked, not meeting his eyes.

"What else could it be?" The newly known father-to-be weaved his fingers together over Margaret's still flat stomach, "We have a little Maggie Pierce growing in there, how could it be anything but wonderful? A miracle!"

She was still crying, but her tears changed from dread and misery to relief and joy, "You…you really think so? You're happy?"

Hawkeye laughed once, almost in shock at the question, "Yeah." He nodded and kissed her neck. When he felt his wife laughing, he started laughing with her, "What's so funny, Mommy?"

"You said, it's a little Maggie Pierce… What if it's a little Benny Pierce?" She winked and leaned back into his chest, laying her hands on top of his.

"Well as long as you don't want to name him Benjamin Franklin Pierce II, I'll be perfectly happy." He winked back and looked down at where his hands were resting, "We're gonna be parents…wow."

Margaret chuckled, "I know. I've had a week to get used to the idea, but I don't think I ever will."

"You've known you were pregnant for a week?" He asked, feeling a little hurt that she didn't tell him, but tried not to let it show.

She sighed, "Yeah… I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was just…scared."

"Of what?" He asked, knowing perfectly well what she would say.

"The bus…" she squeaked, not really wanting to say it.

His voice was soothing and sure, "Honey, I can't say I'm over that…but I've delivered quite a few babies since then. And sure I'm a little scared about being a father, but every first time dad is." He noticed the new, happy tears forming in his wife's eyes, "I think I'm ready for this. I think _we're_ ready."

Margaret nodded, "Yeah…I think we are. Well, as ready as we _can_ be at this point." She felt him nod, "But you know we'll have to change our Christmas plans…" It wasn't that serious, but she knew her husband was looking forward to visiting his best friend and his family for the holidays.

"Oh?" He wasn't all that upset either, especially for _this _reason.

"Well, I'm about two months along… Seven months from now is right around then. I'd kind of like to be around home when the time comes. Not on complete opposite side of the country."

"I'd rather we were home too." He admitted. Shrugging, he suggested, "Maybe we can get the Hunnicutts up here instead."

Margaret smiled, "That'd be perfect. Are we going to tell them, or surprise them when they find out they're an aunt and uncle to be."

Hawkeye chuckled, "I think I'd pay to see the look on their faces when they find out. Let's surprise them." Margaret just laughed in agreement.

They sat in happy silence, just thinking of the future. After a while, the doctor nuzzled his wife's ear, "You know, the stairs are getting a little uncomfortable." He couldn't resist what came next, "And a woman in _your_ condition should be in bed by this time of night."

She just laughed and playfully slapped her husband's shoulder, "Oh God, you're gonna be one of _those_ husband's aren't you? I'm pregnant, not a fragile little china doll."

Hawkeye just laughed and helped her up, "Get used to it." Before they started up the stairs though, he trapped her in a big bear hug and gave her what was supposed to be a quick kiss on the lips. Once they started though, they didn't stop until they were at the point where they sort of needed the bed.

**I bet you have a lot of questions about a few things in this story, but trust me, they will ALL be answered in the next chapter! I hope I can get it written soon! I hope you liked it, and I'd love to hear what you thought. **

**PS: Bev, I know I told you I just wanted to do a short little song-fic for this, but I changed my mind…again. Lol, go figure! Who knows how long this one will end up being! ;-) **

**Okay, green button time! :-D**


	2. Snowed In

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of your reviews. They mean a lot! :-D Oh, and in case you're reading this and didn't see that I reposted the whole story, you might want to read the first chapter too. It's different than it was. I really hope you like this chapter. THANKS FOR READING!_

**Chapter 2**

**December 24****th****, 1955**

Christmas carols were softly playing on the radio and the delicious smell of baking apples wafted through the little Pierce home. Garland was woven through the stair railing and mistletoe hung above almost every doorway thanks to Hawkeye. Stockings were hung on the mantelpiece and presents were already under the beautifully decorated tree. Everything was ready for the holidays…and for the Hunnicutt's visit.

The day after Hawkeye finally found out he was a father-to-be, he called his best friend from the office and suggested the new plans. Of course BJ asked about the change, but Hawkeye just used the typical 'you'll see' card. Thankfully though, Dr. Hunnicutt trusted his friend enough to just go with the vague reason and plans were discussed with Peg. Everything worked out perfectly and they would arrive on Christmas Eve and fly back to California on the second of January. Of course, with how the scenery outside the Pierce's windows looked, the residents had their doubts that the plan would be followed through.

Christmases in northern Maine, and especially by the coast, were always white. But, this year was just a little whiter than the others. About five feet of snow had fallen in the last week, and it was still coming down hard. The ocean could usually be seen from the living room's big picture windows, but the only thing visible now was a small patch of gray sky. Other than that, the windows just looked like big white, blank canvases hanging on the wall.

Margaret was sitting on the couch, listening to the radio and putting the finishing touches on the baby blanket she had started a few months before. She sighed, looking at the clock.

As if on cue, Hawkeye walked through the doorway and muttered what his wife was thinking, "The Hunnicutts would be landing in a while…"

"Yeah," Margaret patted the seat, inviting her husband to sit next to her, "Wonder if their plane's even flying today in this weather."

"I hate to be Johnny Rain Cloud, but I'm guessing their flight was canceled," he sighed and sat down on the couch, wrapping his arm around Margaret's shoulders. He moved her hair to the side and brushed a light kiss on her neck, "Maybe they'll call sometime today."

Goose bumps always seemed to appear on her smooth skin when he kissed her like that, "Ben…" she managed to breathe.

"Yeah?" He couldn't help laughing a little at how he was turning his wife into jelly.

Margaret shivered a little, but it was nothing to do with the temperature of the room. "Will you quit being so damn irresistible when I'm too huge to do anything?" She sort of snapped her reply, but her eyes were sparkling in fun…and desire. A buzzer went off in the kitchen, "That's the apple pie. I'll be right back." She put her knitting to the side and tried everything she could to get up off the couch.

After a couple attempts, Hawkeye got up and held his hand out for his wife, "Need some help?"

"No…" She replied, this time she really _was_ a little snippy.

Having been down this road more than once, the expecting father waited calmly by the coffee table. He knew that, even as stubborn as Margaret was, she'd be asking for help sooner or later. Sure, he was very worried about her hurting herself in the attempt, but also knew that she knew her limits. Or at least cared for their unborn child enough that she wouldn't put him or her at risk.

When she finally sighed in defeat a couple minutes later, he went and knelt by her, "Margaret, let me help you up." He spoke gently, knowing she was frustrated and didn't need anyone telling her what to do.

She bit her lip, rolled her eyes, let out an irritated breath, and let him help her up. Hawkeye was planning on following her into the kitchen and 'helping' with the apple pie, but decided to let her go cool down a bit. He sort of wished he could blame her moods on the pregnancy hormones sometimes, but knew that was just her. He loved her with all he had, but she drove him nuts when she got that way. Of course, her attitude was, somehow, one of the things he loved about her. She wouldn't be the same without it.

Hawkeye had sat back down on the couch and was flipping through an old _TIMES_ magazine he found under some pink yarn. The smell of the pie was making his mouth water, but he was trying to give his wife a little space. He'd stay out of the kitchen for a while. There was plenty he could do in the living room to keep himself occupied. If he didn't feel so lazy at the moment, he'd go out and scoop the driveway, just in case, by some strange chance, the Hunnicutts would actually show up out of the snow that day.

His thoughts were distracted though as a loud metallic clank came from the kitchen. "Margaret?" He called, making a mad dash down the hall. The socks he was wearing made him skid past the doorway on the freshly polished wood floors, but he soon regained his footing and bounded into the kitchen, his eyes wide with worry, "You alright in here?" She was having trouble again. This time, she was trying to retrieve a fallen pan without bending her back. It wasn't working too well so, without really thinking, the raven haired doctor went over and picked it up for her and helped her stand back up. "What happened?"

With the same irritated sigh, she slipped out of her husband's loose grip and grabbed the pan from him. "I was going to do dishes and _somehow_ forgot I was a lot bigger than normal and bumped into the counter and dropped the pan, is that okay?" Her tone matched her body language.

As hard as he tried to stay calm when she got like this, Hawkeye couldn't help it anymore, "Look, I know you're stressed out, and I know you're tired, and I know your retaining water, and I know you're extremely uncomfortable, but you gotta let me help you sometimes. I'm your husband and I care about you and the baby more than anything else in this world and I just want to make life a little easier on you. Why can't you understand that?"

"Why can't you understand what _I'm_ feeling Ben?!" She turned around and dropped the pan onto the counter and faced him again. "Ever since I told you I was pregnant, you've been treating me like some helpless little princess. I can't do anything in this house when you're home without you asking if I need your help. If I need your help, I'll _ask_, but don't just assume! And what was _that_?! You hear a loud bang so you run in here and expect what, exactly? Me writhing on the floor because you weren't here to protect me? What do you think I do all day when you're at the clinic or in Spruce Harbor? I'm not in bed or on the couch all day! I'm cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, getting the nursery ready, doing errands, and just trying to keep this house going. And I can do all of that without your help." Turning around, she went over to the sink and leaned on the counter, looking out at the almost eye level snow. "Ben I love you too, and I know you're just trying to help, but you're just getting on my nerves." She had held strong throughout her rant, but the last sentence had a hint of a cracking voice in it.

Hawkeye was really a little taken aback. He had no idea how much he was bothering her. "Look, Sweetie, I just…"

"Ugh," the especially moody woman's eyes rolled skywards as she shrugged her husband's hand off her shoulder and stormed, or rather waddled, off as best she could. Hawkeye could hear their bedroom door being slammed after a few minutes, (It was a small house, but the stairs weren't the easiest for Margaret at the moment) and cringed.

"Probably thought I was being sarcastic with that 'Sweetie' bit…" he mumbled. "Well…" He had to think a minute to justify whether it was sarcasm or not. It could go either way.

About an hour passed since the door had slammed upstairs and there had yet to be much movement sounding from above. Margaret wasn't getting much sleep at night so maybe she had fallen asleep. Hawkeye had his hopes up that that was the case since she seemed to be in a lot better mood when she was supposedly fully rested. While he waited for his wife to calm down or nap, or whatever she was doing, he had found a book that his father had given him shortly before Thanksgiving. It wasn't a very interesting read so, before long, he was fast asleep on the couch.

* * * *

'_RING! RING!'_ Hawkeye sprang up from where he had fallen asleep on the couch a couple hours before and got to the phone as fast as he could, pretty much knowing who it was on the other end. "Hello?"

"Hawkeye?!" It was exactly who he thought it would be.

"Hey Beej! Where are you guys? Stuck in warm and cozy California?" He teased, his mood rising a little from talking to his best friend, even though they probably wouldn't be able to see each other like they had planned.

BJ chuckled a little, "Yeah, I'm sorry Hawk. We've been at the airport since about seven this morning. They kept delaying the flight. Now it's just canceled thanks to the weather of yours up there." The Californian's tone had a mixture of humor and dismay all wrapped into one.

"They accidentally ordered the white Christmas in triplicate." Hawkeye quipped. "I'm sorry BJ. Too bad we couldn't have just had Christmas in Mill Valley. That way we'd be stranded in nice weather. Must be rough there," there was a laugh on the other end. "You should see the snow we have here, you can only see through about a three inch rectangle on the top of the windows.

"Here I promised Erin she'd finally be able to see snow this year." BJ sighed, "What do you suppose the odds are that it'll stop snowing and about three feet of that snow will melt by tomorrow?"

"Doesn't look too good. I can't believe it's still snowing though. We're probably up to about six feet by now. The roads are all closed and the snow plows can't even get through." Hawkeye mentally shuddered at the thought of trying to make a mad dash to the hospital with Margaret. They'd need a sleigh and possibly eight tiny reindeer in order to get anywhere.

"You know Hawk, I meant to ask you, why _didn't_ we have Christmas here like we had planned in the first place?"

The man on the Maine side of the line tried to decide if he should spill the beans or not. "Well," he started, "we wanted to be close to home for when Margaret goes into labor. We were going to have our baby's honorary uncle take care of the delivery." He waited for the man's reaction.

It was more or less silent for a moment while BJ searched for the words he was desperately looking for. "You…you and Margaret? You guys are having a baby?! That's great!" The huge, cheesy grin was almost visible through the phone line, "Congratulations Hawk! And I gotta say, I'm touched. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I hope you know how honored I'd have been to do that."

Hawkeye's smile probably matched BJ's, "Thanks Beej. But…by the way things are looking, I'll probably be the one taking care of the delivery. That scares the hell out of me, but if the snow doesn't melt soon…"

"You'll do great. You always do." BJ chuckled, knowing what his best friend was going through. "But listen, I'm running out of dimes here. I'm gonna have to go. We're heading back home after we grab a bite to eat. Tell Margaret I said congratulations and Merry Christmas. And you too!"

"I can do that." He didn't add how they weren't exactly on great speaking terms at the moment. "Tell Peg and Erin we said Merry Christmas too."

"I'll do that. You guys take care. Call me when I have a little niece or nephew."

"Oh I will, trust me." Hawkeye laughed, "Merry Christmas Beej."

"Merry Christmas." And the line went dead.

The doctor put the receiver back and headed up the stairs to tell Margaret the rather depressing news. As if she really needed any of that to boost her mood. "Margaret?" He knocked on their door, "Can I come in?" When there wasn't a response, he figured she was asleep and opened the door as quietly as he could. Not an easy task. Hawkeye walked around the bed and laid down next to the blonde, propped himself up on his elbow, and placed a gentle, loving hand on Margaret's swollen stomach.

Much to his surprise, she covered his hand with hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Was that BJ?" She asked, sounding a little better than she had.

"Yeah. Their flight was canceled," his disappointment was evident in his tone.

"Oh no…" her tone matched her husband's. "Ben I'm sorry. I know how excited you were to see BJ again."

"I'm alright. Hope Erin doesn't take it too hard though. Sounds like she was excited to see the snow."

Managing to turn around, Margaret smiled, "She really could have seen a _lot_ of it here."

Hawkeye laughed and nodded, but his expression turned sober again, "I'm just worried about this little guy." He patted his wife's stomach.

"How come?"

"Well, with BJ not coming, if you go into labor with the weather like it is, I'll have to be the doctor on hand. And delivering _our _baby just seems a lot more nerve racking than anyone else's." He put his arm under her head and slowly, almost carefully, caressed her cheek with his other hand.

The woman noticed how cautious he seemed. He was walking on egg shells around her. "Ben," she reached up and grabbed his hand, "please."

He moved to his side and let out a rather exasperated sigh. "What _exactly_ did I do wrong now?"

"Hear me out, will you?" She replied sharply. When her husband wasn't saying anything, she went on, "Ben, I'm sorry I yelled at you like that earlier, but…it's not like I haven't had anything to worry about. It just built up until I exploded. You don't think I'm not worried about having the baby at home with no way to get to the hospital? I was really counting on those pain killers, you know?" She laughed a little, taking her husband's hand and putting it back on her stomach. When the baby kicked and Hawkeye smiled a little, she added, "I'm so excited for us to be parents and I must admit that, at times, the extra pampering is nice. But when you try it all the time it just gets annoying. And you know how stubborn I am. And-"

She couldn't say anything else before Hawkeye kissed his lips to hers. "I'll try to remember that," he whispered between kisses.

"Thank you," she smiled and kissed him back. After awhile, Margaret's stomach growled, "Hmm…guess we're hungry." She laughed and put her hand over the spot that was just kicked. "What do you feel like tonight?"

"Well, I could make us some French Toast. Haven't had that in awhile." He threw a teasing glance to his wife, "Or am I allowed to cook for you?"

Margaret playfully shrugged, "Yeah I guess I could allow that." She grabbed her husband's hand as he tried to get up. "Ben."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I ruined Christmas Eve. I'm just so tired of not really feeling human anymore. Sorry I took it out on you." She looked down and a look of guilt crossed her face.

Hawkeye leaned over toward her and put his hand under her chin, "You didn't ruin anything Margaret." He brushed a quick kiss on her forehead and started for the door.

"One more thing?" the blonde called from the bed. When her husband turned around she smiled sheepishly, "Can you uh…help me up? I'm asking this time. Don't worry."

Laughing, the raven haired man went back over to the bed and threw a mock solute, "Your wish is my command oh Gorgeous One."

**Later - 11:00 P.M.**

"I am going…to pop." The expecting mother was standing in front of the mirror, inspecting her ever growing baby bump, concern showing in her features.

Hawkeye went over to his wife and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. They looked at each other for awhile through their reflections before the silence was broken. "You're beautiful Honey."

"Oh stop." She tried to sound tough, but her smile gave her away. Soon though, the smile did fade and the same concerned expression from earlier returned.

"What's wrong?" the man asked, rubbing the bump his son or daughter was making.

Margaret shook her head as if in a daze, "I'm just…worried I won't make it through. I mean, how do I know I'm strong enough?" The hormones were kicking in as she wiped her eyes. "I'm scared Ben."

Hawkeye kissed her cheek, "Honey, you will be just fine. You're the strongest woman I've ever met. If anyone can do it, I know you can."

"I sure hope you're right." Yawning, she eased herself onto the bed and sighed contently as her body relaxed when she laid down. Hawkeye switched off the lamp on the nightstand and crawled under the covers next to her. "Merry Christmas Ben."

"Merry Christmas Margaret." He patted the woman's stomach, "You too Junior." Margaret was laughing but stopped in a gasp. "What?" Hawkeye asked, a little startled.

"Oh wow…" When she caught her breath, she explained. "That caught me off guard. The baby's got a powerful kick."

"You sure that's all it was?"

She looked over her shoulder toward the man and touched his cheek, "Yes doctor. I'm pretty sure." Hawkeye wasn't convinced, but sleep soon took over them both.

**Christmas - 3:00 A.M.**

He was only asleep for what seemed like minutes before he felt someone squeeze his arm and hiss his name, "Ben! Ben wake up!"

He had the light on before he even opened his eyes, "What is it? You okay?" Focusing his eyes, he saw his wife clutching her back, panting, and gaping at the wet sheets in front of her. "Oh God." he breathed.

"It's coming…" her voice was strained and panicked, perfectly matching the look in her eyes.

**Hmmm… Wonder what'll happen next? As if you didn't know. ;-) Hope you liked this chapter though. I just wonder if Hawkeye learned his lesson about treating Margaret like a, how did she put it? Oh yeah, a fragile little china doll. Hehe, she certainly is stubborn isn't she? But anywho, thanks for the awesome reviews. Keep 'em coming! They're much appreciated. And I'd also like to thank Bev and Brittany for helping me out of my little funk. You guys rock!**

**PS: So you may have a few more questions about things that pertain to the story, but they really will be answered in the next chapter. Trust me! :-D**


	3. Distractions

_Author's Note: Thanks again for all the great reviews! They mean a lot!_

_And one more thing: As you've probably figured out, I've been trying to keep this mostly in Hawkeye's perspective, but between the OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO's, it'll be in Margaret's since she's the one remembering what the scenes that are being played out. _

_ENJOY!_

**Chapter 3**

Hawkeye went from worried husband/father mode to worried husband/father with medical knowledge mode. The only difference was that he started talking again. "Are…are you having pains?" His blue eyes looked worried as he got up, threw on his robe, and sat by his wife on her side of the bed.

Margaret shook her head a little, "No, my back just feels extremely tight. I uh, I thought I heard something pop and when I woke up, I was wet and," she was still panting, "and it just scared me I guess and I'm still scared about all this and…"

She was trying to hold her tears when the doctor started rubbing her back, "Honey, why don't you go change into a comfortable nightgown and I'll get the bed ready."

The woman nodded, a nervous shudder running through her body, "Right…no rushing to the hospital."

Hawkeye's smile matched his wife's expression, "If I could, I'd get you there, but I think this is as good as it'll get. I'm sorry." He kissed her forehead and helped her up, "You need some help?"

Margaret shook her head, "No, I think I'm okay." Grabbing her softest, lightest nightgown, she headed for the bathroom.

The very soon to be father stripped the sheets on the bed and replaced them with a clean fitted sheet and threw the pillows back on. After Margaret changed, he helped her into the chair by the window and retrieved most of the towels in the linen closet. Laying them out on top of the bed, taking care to layer more in the center, he kept a close watch on the blonde from the corner of his eye.

She was looking down at her hands that rested on her stomach, anxiously playing with her wedding ring. "You okay?" Hawkeye had spread out the last towel and knelt down in front of her, putting a hand on her knee. He waited for a nod and added, "Any pains yet?"

"Just the one in my back." Sitting up a little straighter in the chair she continued, "it's not as bad as it was, but it's still there." She pulled her eyebrows together in thought, "Is that what it's supposed to feel like?"

Hawkeye shrugged, "Not that I would know. But chances are they get a little more intense." He winked and stood up, "Come on, let's get you settled in."

"Got any morphine?" Margaret asked, really only _half_ joking. Her husband helped her get situated and grabbed another clean sheet for her to cover up with. Before he went to sit by her for the time being, he disappeared to the bathroom to clean some clamps and scissors from the medical bag he kept at home for emergencies. When he came back to the bedroom, he grabbed his watch from the dresser and took his spot by his wife. She leaned into his waiting arms and sighed, "How long do you think we've got?"

Hawkeye laid a gentle hand on her stomach, "It's up to the little guy…or girl. But, I'm thinking we have awhile. If those _are_ contractions, they don't seem to be too strong yet. We could have hours. The first one always takes longer."

"_First_!?" Margaret pretended to sound shocked, "I'm doing this again?"

Hawkeye just laughed and kissed her cheek. "Are you comfortable?"

She shrugged, "I'm fine…just nervous as hell and thinking you're probably still tired. Go back to sleep, Ben. I'll wake you up if anything happens."

"Like I could sleep now!" He laughed, "Nope, I'll be watching you like a hawk…no pun intended."

A couple minutes passed and Margaret had been silent and lost in thought. Finally, she spoke what was on her mind, "Ben?"

"Yeah?" He may have been a little too quick to answer.

"Relax a little…please? I was just going to ask you something." She smiled and touched her husband's cheek, "I was just going to say that…" it took her a moment to choose her words, "I mean, I'm a nurse and I should know all this, but…my water just broke…I should be…more…progressed, shouldn't I?! Like ready to start pushing and everything…" the panicked tone reclaimed it's spot in the woman's voice until Hawkeye started running his fingers through her hair.

"Shh…calm down, Honey." He was rubbing her back again, "You know as well as I do that it's always different. Sometimes it happens in the beginning and other times it holds off until closer to the end." Kissing her neck, he daringly teased, "You're a nurse, you should know all this."

"So I'm not thinking straight right now." She shifted uncomfortably, "I think my back's getting a little tighter again."

Hawkeye looked at his watch quick, "It's been about half an hour." He watched her carefully. She had her eyes closed and was biting her lip a little, trying to keep calm. When she seemed to relax, he took the hand that was on her swollen belly, "Has it passed yet?" The blonde nodded, but kept her eyes closed. "Any worse than the last one?"

Blinking her eyes open, she nodded slowly, "A little bit. Not intolerable yet."

Her husband chuckled, giving the soft hand he held a reassuring squeeze, "Good. Who knows? Maybe it'll all be like that for you."

"Yeah right." Margaret scoffed, "I'm tough, but not _that_ tough." She sighed, "Ben, can you do me a huge favor?"

"Anything," he promised, feeling like he really did owe her everything he could give for what she had been going through for the last nine months and what she would later that day.

She hesitated a moment, "Can you…distract me somehow. Just while we're waiting for things to get rolling. You know waiting gets to me. Just do something to pass the time for us… Please?"

"What did you have in mind?" He wagged his eyebrows at her until she playfully swatted his shoulder. "Alright, okay. Um…what about…" he thought for a moment. "Okay, I know… close your eyes." Hawkeye situated himself so Margaret's head rested in the crook of his arm. He ran two gentle fingers softly over her eyelids and kissed her forehead before he started what he hoped would distract her.

"It's September 2nd, 1953..." The man with the low and soothing tone with a bit of a sexy bite to it set the scene, "You're in a dimly lit bar called O'Malley's in Boston. Music is playing and people are laughing and talking. Glasses are clinking together and chairs are being scooted across the floor as people move about…" He looked down to see the smile spreading across Margaret's face. She knew where this was headed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_She was enjoying herself, drinking and having a good time. For the first time in a long time she could feel herself relaxing a bit. She and her friends from work were laughing over something ridiculous. When she looked up to the door, she was just in time to see him walk in. No not him…them. He was with BJ. She stopped laughing and froze._

"_Margaret? Are you alright?" one of the girls asked._

"_Yeah…" she answered quietly as she rose from her seat, "I'll be back." Her gaze never left his back as he went to the bar and took a seat. She marched intently towards him, leaving the table of curious stares and whispers behind her._

_She stood behind him for a moment, smoothing her little red dress out and rethinking her plans. 'Oh just do it…' she urged herself. Finally, she felt her hand going toward his shoulder, "Buy you a drink sailor?"_

_Those blue eyes looked like they were looking into her soul. They sparkled as a surprised smile lit up his face, "Margaret?!"_

"_Hi!" She felt like she was in a dream. The man she had been thinking about a lot lately was suddenly right there and had her in a tight embrace. When he let her go, Margaret had the same smile on her face that he did. She studied the man's appearance, noticing that it looked much younger than it had only a couple months before. The slight graying she had seen near the end of the war had vanished too and his hair was now as pitch black as ever and he had gained a little weight as well and looked healthier than she had ever seen him. She was speechless as she took in his sexy body, but soon found her voice again, "I can't believe it! What are you doing here?"_

_Hawkeye laughed, "Believe it or not, I was at a medical conference."_

"_You?!" the woman in red looked surprised._

"_Well, BJ here told me he was going, so I decided I should too." He motioned back to his best friend who smiled his cheesy, cleanly shaved grin, and waved._

"_Oh BJ it's great to see you too!" Margaret went to give her other friend a hug and wrapped her arms around the two men's shoulders. "How've you guys been?"_

_BJ laughed, obviously in shock at how the major was acting toward the two. "Well I've been pretty good Major, how 'bout you?"_

_She laughed at his assumption and shook her head, "Not a Major anymore Beej!"_

"_What?!" Hawkeye looked even more surprised than he had when he first saw her that night._

"_That's right." Margaret nodded, "Major Margaret Houlihan is just Margaret Houlihan now. As soon as I set foot on American soil after spending all that time in Korea I said, 'Enough is enough, I'm staying here from now on' and resigned my commission to do exactly what I said I would do. I am now a nurse at a stateside hospital and loving every minute of helping to treat and heal people with _normal_ civilian wounds."_

"_Well I'm very happy for ya Margaret!" Hawkeye had wrapped his arm around her skinny waist and squeezed it in affection, "Congratulations."_

"_Thank you, thank you." She pretended to bow a little. "But come on! What have you guys been up to since I last saw you?" She didn't care if her friends at the table were staring at her, she was just as happy as could be, seeing her old friends from the 4077__th__ again. Her family._

_Hawkeye had ordered martinis for himself and BJ and a double bourbon and water for Margaret. The bartender sat them down so he took a sip of his martini and smiled, "Well, for now I'm working at my dad's clinic in the Cove, but it sounds like I'll be working part time for the Spruce Harbor E.R. here shortly. A friend of my dad's is retiring so I think I'll try to get my foot in the door. Maybe someday I'll be chief again."_

_From what she could tell, he really looked happy, "That's great Hawkeye." Squeezing his shoulder, she looked over to BJ who had been sipping on his own martini, "What about you? How's Peg and Erin?"_

"_They're great!" His cheesy grin had returned, "You should see Erin, she's walking and talking and…" he shook his head in disbelief, "she's just an amazing little girl. And Peg's just as amazing as ever. If not more."_

_The three of them talked and laughed for what seemed like hours. Margaret had introduced the two handsome men to her friends at the table, but soon regretted introducing Hawkeye to her fellow nurses. They were all over him! They were being friendly with BJ as well, but not as much considering that he always managed to have his wedding ring in full view. The former major was trying her best to not look too jealous, but when Bethany, a rather gorgeous friend of hers, was fawning over the raven haired man, she got a little restless._

"_Excuse me." Margaret smiled politely as she got up to go over to the juke box. She didn't intend on playing any music, but it just seemed like a good, discreet way to escape having to see another woman with Hawkeye. She was so lost in thought, watching the record spin under the brightly colored lights. She was so confused. Ever since she left the 4077__th__, she felt like there was a piece missing from her. It was more than just the feeling of being alone after being surrounded by people she really cared for, for so long. The former head nurse kept having dreams about a certain someone, especially after that kiss… And when she saw him again, it was like that piece was back. She felt whole…_

"_Margaret?" Hawkeye's voice sounded like it was only inches away from the woman's ear. She jumped, startled. "Sorry." he chuckled._

_Margaret spun around to face him on her shiny black stilettos, "Oh no, you're fine." She laughed a little nervously, "I just thought I'd come over and pick a song…"_

_He dug in his pocket for a dime, "How about 'The Way You Look Tonight'?" Winking, he dropped the coin into the woman's hand. "Which would be beautiful by the way."_

_She blushed, "Thanks." Rubbing her bare arms, she added, "It's getting a little chilly though."_

"_Here." Hawkeye took off his lightweight, grey coat and slung it over her shoulders, "How's that?"_

_She just looked up into his eyes. Feeling herself nod, she was able to breathe, "Good…thank you."_

"_Anytime." He smiled, carefully touching her cheek, "Is it just me, or does it feel like it's been a lot longer than a couple months?"_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"And so the devilishly handsome man started flirting with the beautiful woman, his heart in his throat as he thought about how he had let her drive away in that Jeep…" Hawkeye was still telling the story but seemed to slow down for a moment when he saw his wife's hand go to her lower stomach. "You okay?"

Margaret was obviously trying not to show that she was in pain, but a soft groan escaped her lips, "How long has it been?" She was breathing harder and shifting around, trying to get comfortable.

"About twenty-" he looked down at his watch, "five minutes or so. I can stop if you want…"

"No, keep going Honey." Her breath caught a couple times, but she was starting to relax again. "Please."

Hawkeye rubbed the bump that the newest Pierce was making and began the story again. "Well after the radiant blonde put the dime in and chose the song that the man requested, they danced and danced, even after the song was over. Then about a month later, the handsome man was waiting in the woman's apartment…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Margaret was worn out. The steps leading up to her third floor walk up seemed to take much longer than normal to climb and the lights in the hallway showed that it was past ten o'clock at night. (They had been dimmed to save money for the landlord). Finally, she stood in front of her door and fished her key out of her purse. She fiddled with the lock a bit, too tired to get it right the first time. She had barely slipped the key into the lock when the door opened. _

"_Evening!" Hawkeye stood in front of her in his famous Hawaiian shirt and a pair of blue jeans that seemed to fit him nicely in all the right places._

"_Ben?! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Maine." A new wave of energy surged through her as her heart raced from his touch._

_His arms were wrapped around her waist, "Surprise." He whispered through his smile. He slowly pressed his lips to hers and Margaret deepened the kiss, her whole body going numb and tingly with passion. He had to be one of the best kissers on the planet… She felt like her knees were going to give out by the time he gently pulled away. "You hungry? I made supper for you." Keeping one arm around her, he lead her to the kitchen table._

"_You made supper?" She asked, a little shocked as he pulled the chair out for her and she took a seat._

"_Yes I did." He laughed and winked, "You sound surprised! I'm Italian, this is supposed to be second nature to me."_

_Margaret sniffed the air, "It smells wonderful. What is it?"_

"_Uh…spaghetti." Hawkeye dished the noodles out and spread the sauce on top. "I can cook the basics…it's the fancy stuff that gives me trouble."_

_The very hungry nurse laughed as he sat the plate in front of her. "Oh this looks great." She waited until he took a seat with his plate before she dug in. "Mmmm….oh this is amazing."_

"_Garlic bread?" The man asked, holding the basket for her. She reached for one, but he turned it a bit, "That one's burnt a little. I'll take that one." _

_Margaret giggled, "Oh I can handle a burnt one."_

"_Just take the good one, trust me. It'll be better." There was mischief in his eyes._

"_Alright, alright." She was laughing, but when she broke the small bun open, she gasped and her eyes grew wide, "Oh my God…" She put down the bread, but still held onto the object that made her react the way she did. A small, intricate band with a diamond perched on top. "Oh my God…Ben?" There were tears in her eyes and a small, unbelieving smile on her face. "Is this…?"_

"_It was my mother's." Hawkeye stood up and picked up the ring, kneeling down in front of his, hopefully, future fiancée. "Margaret," he took her hand in his, "I know we've only really been dating for a month, but we've known and cared for each other for a lot longer than we've ever admitted. When I have to leave you to go back home for work, I feel like a piece of me is missing until I see you again and it's getting harder and harder to leave that piece behind. To try to _live_ without that piece is nearly impossible. I love you so much…more than words could ever describe. Will you marry me?"_

_Her vision was becoming so blurry from the happy tears she was crying. "Oh Hawk…" her happy sobs escaped her when she answered, "Of course I will."_

_A look of pure delight and love took over Hawkeye's face as he slid the ring onto his fiancée's finger. Margaret's showed the same things as he pulled her up from her seat and hugged and kissed her as much as he could. "I love you…" She managed to choke from behind her happy tears._

"_I love you too." He kissed her again, sending the same numbing sensation down her spine._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The story took an abrupt pause when Margaret let out a louder groan, not fifteen minutes after the last wave of pain had hit. "Oh God…" she gripped the pillow as a pained expression contorted her features. "Oh my God! Owww!!!" Her breath was catching every time she tried to breath, "I…think…they're getting worse…"

"Breathe Margaret, you can do it. Come on, breathe Honey." _He_ could even feel her stomach contracting under his hand. "Shhh…." he wiped his wife's forehead with the same hand and kissed the slightly sweaty skin, "You're gonna be fine." He didn't feel too good though. Seeing the love of his life in so much pain was making him sick.

After a couple minutes, she was starting to manage her breathing a little better and was trying to take deep breaths. "God that was a bad one…"

"Is it over?" Hawkeye asked, his worry completely evident.

Margaret took another deep breath before shaking her head, "See a baby anywhere?" Her tone was scathing.

"I meant the contraction…" he gently corrected his earlier words.

"I know what you meant." She replied, her demeanor changing as the pain wore off for the time being. "Yeah…I think this one's passed." Letting out an exasperated sigh, she wiped away a few of the tears that had managed to roll down her cheeks, "I can't do this. Can't you knock me out or something?"

The small hint of a smile let him know that she wasn't serious. "You'll be fine Margaret." He caressed her cheek, "I'll help as much as I can."

She just laughed, "Gee thanks." Settling back in, Margaret laid her hand on top of her husband's that was on her stomach again, "Alright…where were we?"

"You _sure_ you want to keep going?"

Margaret nodded and smiled, "It's just getting to the good part."

Hawkeye could tell she was trying to play strong for him and decided to play right along with her. "Well, the two lovebirds didn't have a very long engagement. They decided they had wasted too much time apart and never really wanted to leave the other for too long ever again. So, the next weekend on October 9th, almost everyone from the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital reunited in Crabapple Cove, Maine for something that the two people getting married never really thought their former colleagues would ever expect to see. But boy were they wrong…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Everything was perfect. The sky was the most brilliant shade of pink and purple and orange while the sun was setting and the bride and groom said their vows. Shortly after the wedding and while the backyard was bustling with the former members of the 4077__th__ as they were turning the small chapel into the ballroom, the sun went down over the Pacific and the beautiful paper lanterns, that the Klingers had brought from Korea, were lit up and hung from the trees._

_Thankfully everyone that had been invited could come on such short notice and they were all sitting in their chosen spots around the three large tables. There was BJ and his family, Father Mulcahy (who had performed the service), Radar and his fiancée, Klinger and Soon Lee, Colonel and Mrs. Potter, Charles Winchester, Daniel Pierce, a few of Hawkeye's childhood friends and their families, and a couple of Margaret's friends from her old job in Boston._

_The, now, newlyweds had absolutely no idea how their wedding would go until the day before. They thought they would just have a simple little ceremony in the living room of Hawkeye's boyhood home with a few witnesses, but instead, the day before the first of the biggest days of their lives, they found their friends from the 4077__th__ along with their families in that same living room. Of course, those friends also would not let them in the back yard until the morning of the wedding when they found it to be completely set up for what looked like the wedding of the year._

Ting! Ting! Ting! _BJ gently hit his fork against the fancy Champaign glass after dessert had been finished. As the crowd silenced their happy chatter, he stood up and his famous cheesy grin was even wider than usual. "Well, seeing as how I'm the best man, I guess I'll make the traditional toast. No toaster needed." He paused for the few laughs he received with his corny joke. "Well, I didn't really have time to prepare a big speech since I wasn't exactly expecting a wedding so soon between these two, so I guess I'm just winging this."_

_Margaret laughed and squeezed her husband's knee in affection as the sandy-haired surgeon smiled down at them._

"_I wasn't excepting them to get married so _soon_, but I can't say that I didn't think they'd ever get married. When I first got to the 4077__th__, it wasn't something I saw happening in the near future, but after I was there a few months, I started seeing just how much these two meant to each other. They'd never have admitted it back in Korea, but they sure did an awful lot of leaning on the other. At first they didn't realize just how much they needed each other, but I sure am glad they finally figured it out and tied the knot. You two are going to have such a great future. I hope you have nothing but happiness in this huge journey you're embarking on. Congratulations you two." He raised his glass to his dearest friends and so did the rest of the group. _

_Hawkeye thanked his best friend with a firm handshake that turned into a hug and Margaret, so touched she had tears in her eyes, kissed him on the cheek and gave him a warm hug as well. "Careful Margaret, don't mess up your makeup." BJ winked at her before kissing her cheek in return. "You look beautiful by the way."_

"_Thanks Beej," she smiled and dabbed at her eyes her with her napkin._

_When BJ and the newly wedded couple sat back down, Hawkeye leaned over and kissed his bride's neck, "He's right you know. You look absolutely gorgeous."_

"_Hawkeye…" she squealed with pleasure, goose bumps emerging around her neck and shoulders, "Wait until we leave. Please." Her husband just laughed that same laugh he always did when he did when he made her squeal like that._

_When the two were temporarily done fooling around, Colonel Sherman Potter stood up and clinked his own glass, and cleared his throat. When the crowd quieted once again, the former C.O. smiled, "Acting as Father of the Bride, I think I should probably say something as well." The fatherly look he used whenever he had something to say to Margaret changed his features and showed just how much of a soft spot he had for his former head nurse._

"_Margaret," he started, having to clear his throat again to try to rid the lump in his throat, "I can't tell you how proud I am of you. You're the best nurse I've ever scrubbed with. You're caring, compassionate, dedicated to helping people and you're just an all around…good egg." Another round of inconspicuous throat clearing, "I can't tell you how happy I am that you finally found someone to go with that bouquet you caught in Korea." Those who had been at Max and Soon Lee's wedding laughed at the memory. "Congratulations Major." He raised his glass to her and threw a fatherly wink toward Hawkeye, "You too, Son."_

"_Thanks Colonel." The man raised his glass in appreciation. _

_His wife was too choked up to do much other than smile up at the man and squeeze his hand in gratitude. Sherman bent down to have a word with Margaret that no one else was really meant to hear, "You know I think of you like a daughter, right?"_

_Margaret nodded, more tears in her eyes, "Thank you Sherman. For everything. Walking me down the aisle, helping with the wedding, everything. I don't know how I'll ever be able to pay you back."_

"_No need my dear." He shook his head, "What else are fathers for?" Kissing her cheek, he stood up to return to his seat, but had something to add, "One more thing!" He laughed, "I'd have to agree with Hunnicutt. I think I knew all along that these two would make the perfect couple. Especially after that not-so-little goodbye kiss they had!" The crowd erupted with agreements, especially from Charles and BJ, while the 'father of the bride stand in' sat down._

"_My turn!" Daniel Pierce stood up before anyone had the chance to move, which caused another round of giggles. When the noise died down, the older version of Hawkeye continued, "Son, I know this is probably sounding redundant by now, but I'm very happy for you both. And Margaret, I may not have known you in person for long, but Hawkeye used to write about you all the time in his letters. Then when he got home, he never stopped talking about you. I may not have been in Korea with you guys but I feel like I can say the same as BJ and Sherman. I somehow knew all along that you were the right one for my son. I could see it in his eyes when he talked about you. I'm thrilled to call you my daughter-in-law. And I also give you both my best wishes for the future." _

_After everyone toasted the couple once again, the old small town doctor pulled an envelope out of the pocket of his tux. Speaking to the guests at the tables, Daniel chuckled, "Hawkeye asked me yesterday, before they knew everyone was in the living room, who had bought the house next door. I just told him that a young couple had and that I thought the name sounded familiar at the time, but couldn't remember it then." The newlyweds' friends seemed to be in on the joke, but Hawkeye and Margaret just sort of looked at each other, a little confused._

_Looking down at his son's beautiful wife, his eyes sparkled the same way Hawkeye's did when he was up to something. He handed the envelope to Margaret and nodded for her to open it. Her hands shook with excitement, but she finally broke the seal and pulled out it's contents. There were a few legal looking papers, a short note in Daniel's handwriting, and two sets of house keys. The man just laughed, "Just come visit every once in awhile, that's all I ask."_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"AGHH!!!!" Margaret's scream brought the two people back to the present. She was writhing in pain and squeezing Hawkeye's hand to the point that it almost felt like she was breaking bones. "AHH!!" She screamed again between her labored breathing, "Ben!"

Hawkeye moved his arm out from under his wife's head and gently laid it down on the pillows, "Shhh… Breathe Honey, come on, breathe." He let her squeeze his hand as hard as she wanted to, despite the pain. He figured hers was probably about a million times worse. He could deal with a sore hand.

"They're getting worse!" Her voice was still strained and breathless, "Oh my god it hurts…"

Hawkeye looked down at his watch, and gasped "Oh boy…"

Margaret heard the surprise in her husband's voice, "What?!" She asked in a panic.

"It's only been about five minutes. They're getting a _lot_ closer."

"Lot…_worse_…too." She rolled over to her side and curled up a little, somehow trying to relieve the pain. "AHH!"

The _very_ soon to be father felt dizzy, "I thought the first one was supposed to take forever…" he mumbled to himself.

"Ben?!" She reached over and grabbed his arm, the tone in her scream unsure.

"What is it, Honey?" He turned around again to face her, running a caring hand over her sweaty forehead. She was still panting and looked like she felt miserable.

Her face contorted again for a moment before she could answer, "I…have to push…" Her ice blue eyes scrunched closed again, her teeth clenching as she started bearing down.

"Don't push yet!" Hawkeye helped her turn over to her back and pushed her feet up to her body, moving the sheet she was covered in out of the way. "Just wait until I get back. Breathe. You can do it. It's okay."

"I have…a baby whose head feels like the size of a watermelon…ripping through me…and you have the nerve to tell me it's okay!?" She grabbed the headboard and Hawkeye could tell she that was trying her hardest to keep from pushing.

He rushed back over to the bed and held her hand to help her through the contraction, "I'm sorry Margaret."

The pain was finally wearing off for the moment and the woman shook her head, "I'm sorry, but this just hurts so bad… Just go get ready. Hurry."

The doctor followed his patient's orders and ran to the bathroom to get the medical instruments he had washed earlier and a few of the towels that were left in the cupboard. He went back to the bedroom and set it all on the corner of the bed.

Going back over to his wife, she grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "It's okay. I'm scared too, Ben."

Hawkeye smiled a small, nervous smile, "You're gonna be fine." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, "I don't think any Christmas is going to be able to top this one though."

"I forgot about that…" the pain seemed to be coming back already. "Merry…Christmas." She breathed as best she could, but soon it was too much and a small yelp escaped her lips, "Can…can I push yet?"

"I don't know, are you ready to be a mom yet?" He chuckled, but inside he felt like screaming in fear. His wife just nodded, grimacing with the pain again as she started pushing.

**So I lied…what you **_**thought**_** would happen hasn't yet, but it will in the next chapter. I promise. But I **_**did**_** say that most of your questions would be answered and I hope they were! I really hope you liked this chapter and don't worry, there are many more to come. Tell me what you think! (Be nice!) ;-)**

**PS: Thank you Lissy and Brittany and Bev! I hope you guys know how much you help me. And thanks again to everyone who left a review.**

**Green Button Time!**


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